IPI SINGAPORE

Learn how IPI Singapore significantly improved efficiency and attendee experience at their flagship conference.

TechInnovation TechSpotlight event with attendees wearing headphones and a stage with a large screen.
7000+

Total Attendees Checked In

130%

Increase in Appointments

26%

Increase in Exhibitors

203%

Increase in Leads Captured

BACKGROUND

A subsidiary of Enterprise Singapore, IPI Singapore accelerates the innovation journey of Singapore SMEs by providing them access to its global innovation ecosystem and advisory services. IPI stands for Innovation Partner for Impact.

TechInnovation is the leading technology brokerage event organised by IPI, designed to connect technology seekers and providers with industry leaders from Singapore and around the world, facilitating meetings with international dignitaries and key players. Since its inception in 2012, TechInnovation has been a driving force in fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and commercialisation opportunities in the global technology ecosystem. 

IPI Singapore - Event Pic 2

GOALS

Revamping their approach to event management

In 2022, Alvin How, the then Head of Strategy, Marketing, and Communications at IPI Singapore – the team which handles all of IPI’s events – had a vision to revamp their event management approach. They decided to replace their in-house meetings management and registration system and outsource their tech needs to a reliable event technology provider.

The search for an event tech provider

With a clear vision in mind, the team set several goals for their event management platform. They needed a system that offered:

  • Extensive customisation capabilities to create unique, branded event pages,
  • Assistance and onboarding support to ensure that the team could use the platform effectively,
  • Streamlined registration and an efficient onsite check-in experience,
  • Flexibility to handle various event formats (hybrid, physical, or virtual), and
  • Tools to track leads captured by exhibitors 

Additionally, they aimed to boost registration counts, increase exhibitor participation, and enhance attendee engagement, all while fulfilling specific sponsorship requirements.

APPROACH

Experimenting with other platforms

IPI Singapore initially opted for a different tech provider to support their smaller events. “However, the experience with it was a bit cumbersome,” says Alvin, stating, “I had to create a separate instance every time I wanted to build a new event. So I basically had to create the set-up from scratch for every new event.” 

After experimenting with a few different platforms, the team realised that none of them offered the customisation capabilities and user-friendliness that they were looking for to support their flagship TechInnovation conference planned for 2023. Since the conference was making a comeback that year after the pandemic, the team was eager to secure a reliable platform.

A man at a Tech Innovation pre-registration booth with a "Your Gateway to Asia's Tech" sign.

Enter Cvent

As the planning for TechInnovation 2023 progressed, IPI began to consider Cvent for their event tech needs. After a thorough evaluation, Cvent won the tender for the event in May of that year due to its competitive pricing and extensive feature set.

Alvin appreciated the onboarding process as well as the comprehensive tutorials provided by Cvent, noting, “Going through the simple tutorials didn’t take very long – all the basics could easily be covered in 2-3 hours.” Using the Cvent system, Alvin was successfully able to set up registration and website for a 100-pax event all by himself.

Streamlined processes

The team then began integrating Cvent into TechInnovation 2023. They worked closely with Cvent’s professional services team to craft a sleek, multi-path registration system and a stunning, customised website that perfectly aligned with their branding. Says Alvin, “It is very important for us to get the external communication right – be it the messaging about the event or the first look of the event – all of which happens through the event website.” To simplify the check-in process and improve attendee experience, they implemented OA360 at check-in, which also allowed them to track session-level attendance.

They leveraged Appointments to streamline scheduling and manage meetings, opening up networking opportunities for all attendees. Additionally, they employed the Attendee Hub event app and website to boost engagement and interaction throughout the event. The Exhibitor Management tools made tracking exhibitors and their logistics highly efficient, while the Lead Capture feature enabled exhibitors to track valuable leads, maximising returns for IPI’s primary stakeholders.
 

Crowded people in the event with the IPI booth at the center and people standing nearby.

RESULTS

Achieving registration goals

The TechInnovation 2023 conference saw significant improvements across various aspects of the event. Firstly, they successfully launched registration at their targeted deadline – which they had feared they would be unable to meet as it was pretty steep – maximising registrations and lead conversions. Email delivery was enhanced with the implementation of DKIM, resulting in an average open rate of 55%.  

Efficient onsite management

The onsite experience was smooth, with no major concerns, owing to the OnArrival solution. “The OnArrival experience streamlined the check-in process, eliminating the need for manual lists and significantly reducing wait times,” notes Alvin. Comparing their previous manual check-in process to the current system, Alvin remarks, "The time spent used to be days compared to just hours now!" Additionally, the support provided by the onsite team was exceptional, ensuring seamless execution and addressing real-time challenges effectively. This level of support significantly contributed to the overall success of the event and attendee satisfaction.

Comprehensive reporting and exceptional client services

Another very useful feature was the reporting. Elaborates Alvin, “Cvent allows me to get a lot of information. I can easily get everything I need to slice and dice the event data in whatever way I want, and then I can just download the whole report. That makes my life very easy!” 

Alvin also sings high praises about Cvent’s client services team. “Working with Cvent’s professional services team is very pleasant because we work like partners rather than like the typical vendor/client relationship. I need feedback, and I rely more on the Cvent team than on my team because of how involved Cvent is with everything. That's the kind of help that we appreciate a lot!” 

People are sitting at a table at an event, with a banner behind them that reads "Innovation Partner for Impact."

Building on 2023 success

Buoyed by the success of TechInnovation 2023, IPI Singapore decided to replicate their Cvent usage for the 2024 event as well. Since they had already laid the groundwork in the year before, it was primarily a matter of duplicating the setup. They also expanded their usage and explored new features previously untapped in the 2023 event. As Alvin puts it, “Cvent is like a Porsche, but previously, we were using it as if it were a Toyota. There were many features available in the system that we weren't fully utilising.” 

After making enhancements to their setup for TechInnovation 2024, the team saw improved results. The registration and check-in process was more seamless, with reference IDs helping to track registrations better and enabling quick badge printing on site. Session management was effectively handled, with the successful setup of sessions with their corresponding fees and waitlists. There was a notable increase in appointments made as well as increased engagement by attendees. However, the most significant improvement came from better utilisation of the LeadCapture tool. Thanks to it, the team saw a rise in exhibitor engagement and an increase in the leads they collected. 

LOOKING FORWARD

Enhancing future events with Cvent

IPI Singapore plans to continue leveraging Cvent's platform for future events, focussing on further enhancing the attendee and exhibitor experience. The IPI team rates Cvent's comprehensive suite of solutions highly, emphasising that the platform not only addressed all their requirements but also significantly improved efficiency and attendee satisfaction. The successful deployment of Cvent’s tools for the TechInnovation conferences in 2023 and 2024 has set a strong foundation for future events, demonstrating the value of investing in robust event management technology.

Alvin sums up the experience with Cvent by saying, "Using the right event technology is really very important. If you don’t have a decent event website, you risk losing the potential attendee’s interest from the get-go. And you need a system that makes the process as simple as possible for both you as well as the attendee. Having an event tech provider like Cvent really helped ease off a chunk of the burdens associated with event planning. "

Expanding capabilities for TechInnovation 2025

The team is keen to explore the potential of the Attendee Hub app’s gamification feature and to leverage the app for appointment booking, a feature they believe remains underutilised. 'By putting a greater emphasis on attendee education and communication strategies, we can drive adoption of the app and maximise networking opportunities, ensuring stakeholders fully leverage its capabilities,' observes Alvin. Additionally, the team is enthusiastic about integrating the Cvent platform with Salesforce. Plans are already in place to implement all these features for TechInnovation 2025.

PRODUCTS USED

Several people standing in front of a pre-registration booth with the IPI logo on the left side.

GOALS

  • Streamline registration and onsite check-in
  • Enhance exhibitor participation and attendee engagement

APPROACH

  • Implemented a multi-path registration system and a customised website for branding
  • Transitioned to a digital check-in process to improve the overall event experience
  • Increased adoption of LeadCapture to track leads captured by exhibitors

RESULTS

  • 7000+ Total Attendees Checked In
  • 130% Increase in Appointments
  • 26% Increase in Exhibitors
  • 203% Increase in Leads Captured

PRODUCTS USED

Power every event with Cvent